As of right now, someone can become a mentor the DAY they start playing if they like. New players will automatically be assigned to this incapable mentor, causing them further complications should they seek advice from an experienced player. We even have one 1-month NUB mentor now, whom I am using as an example only - I am not trying to make any sort of statement about his mentoring capabilities.

However.

If we are really going to have this many newbies signing up via the new Facebook application, shouldn't we have some sort of system where one must be:

1) Of a certain age (at least their NUB should be over...)
2) Supportership, perhaps, as a requirement?
3) Tested (this would work as well, though only to a certain capacity - unless you intend to randomly generate test questions from a database, NUBs will easily find the few answers they need to become a mentor).

Of the three, I strongly support the first and the third would be an excellent way of filtering out the longer-standing, but less knowledgeable, would-be mentors.

Hatch, read again...3) Tested (this would work as well, though only to a certain capacity - unless you intend to randomly generate test questions from a database, NUBs will easily find the few answers they need to become a mentor).

UNLESS....that part is very important in this sentence.
A good way to it would to let the person take the test and while the test is being taken, the chat applet should be inaccesible.
Aside of that, leaving the test page should be forbidden too.
Above that, those who fail the test, have to wait an entire month(like name change) to be eligible to take the test again...

All that should prove becoming mentor too tiresome for those who sign up for the fun of it.

Checking "member since" date constitutes as "heavyweight"? Sounds like a reasonable check to me (in lieu of some of OB's other, more heavy ideas), but then I can go make my own game if I want the rules changed, right? *smile*

In fact, I have for quite some time refused to be associated with the Mentors for this very reason, choosing instead to help out new players in Chat when I see them. Perhaps this was largely because when I returned to CB, I got a mentor who:

1) Didn't know the answers to many of my questions
2) Rarely responded to my Chatmails in the first place

And I felt like I was on my own to discover the new features implemented. I did just fine, having had CB1 experience, but to a new player...that's probably not the best first impression we'd like them to have of this game, is it?

So now all that needs implementing is the unspoken rule where people don't go signing up for things they aren't qualified for...soon as I come up with a solution to that one, I guess I'll post again. ;'P

personally i kinda dont bother to talk to my mentees unless they chatmail or PM me a question... the reason being.. why spend your time on someone whos like gona quit in a few days or something... i do help out in chat when theres nobody around though

I tend to think of mentors more like "greeters" than master tip-giving strategists...Of course, that probably goes against the very definition of the word mentor, but hey, I never thought it was appropriate anyway.

And frankly that's how it should be, in my opinion. Chat is pretty much always inhabited by a kind soul who will answer newbie questions, and the forums are, too. So, what I'm trying to say is, yeah, there will be mentors who are not grasping the game 100%. If you are one and think you cannot accurately answer a newbie's question...don't.

Make him/her head for chat or the boards. But please, make the newbies feel like they are at home. Welcome them, and make them understand they will get the help they want to become OMG SO PWN4G3. (In time.) If they are polite of course. No mentor can save an RSer. ;)

While I was a mentor, I tried my best not to give false advice, instead reffering to the guys I KNOW, could help in my stead. (Of course, I've been here for some time, so I'm not a complete know-nothing, or at least I hope so.) I did not always completely rework people's strats, nor could I describe exactly what every combination of equips/skills would do. But the couple of "I love my mentor, he rocks" lines I got in chat make me think I still did my job well, without being Ranger, or Gun in chat. (Who rock at helping strat-wise, like many others.)

Ohh, so I get lost again in my thoughts/writing...Gah.

/mental restructure.......

-Mentoring should be based on one's ability to be friendly, welcoming and to keep the newbies around by just being all around cool with them, AS SOON AS THEY BEGIN TO PLAY.
Strat help is nice, but will never be as much important as feeling there are people who want you to play.

So, based on all this, I am pretty much against any type of knowledge-based of time-based mentor testing protocol. (Even if it is not a -bad idea- in itself.) Because people who don't get the inner workings of PL can still be excellent mentors.

Good attitude > Strat advice and knowledge.

Now, if there could be a way to rate one's treatment of newbies based on this...

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